Index
Introduction
Basic Rules
The Arts
Types of Magic
Spell Levels
Skill Rolls
Limitations of Magic
Magic Resistance
Focuses
Magical Enchantments
Mana
Botches
Timeperiods
Merits and Flaws for True
Magic
Specific area magic rules (own files none written yet)
Introduction
Over and over again you hear the stories of great
magics existing. However, Thaumaturgical magic is a rather recent
development made necessary by the advent of the Age or Reason. Magic
became harder to work because the Powers That Be (specifically God and
the Weaver in a peace treaty) made it more difficult. Eventually
it became impossible to work due to the great amount of ability required
even the greatest mages could only manage rather minor effects. This
magic allows the powerful magics of the olden ages.
In some ways Thaumaturgy is more powerful but in
other ways it is far weaker. Thaumaturgy always requires the expenditure
of personal power. True magic does not. However, true magic
cannot produce certain types of effect without great difficulty
This document defines a generalized system for working
the type of magic where man manipulates specific laws of reality.
Spirit based magics and elemental based magics will have their own system.
Some practitioners may practice both paths.
Index
Basic Rules
This section defines a metasystem for magic.
It defines the basic workings of magics. The specific rules of magic
required for each system will be defined in each individual system.
Anyone who wishes to begin study under a magical tradition must pay 1000
IP into studying that tradition even if they already know a magical tradition.
These points must be spent before any IP can be spent on obtaining Arts.
If you are running a Magus game the 1000 IP is assumed to already be spent.
If you are playing a Magus from beginning you must spend 15 Freebie Points.
Index
The Arts
The Arts are what defines what a magician can do
magically. There are two types of Art. Techniques and Forms.
Techniques define what that art does (examples: create, destroy, alter).
While Form defines what that Art can effect (animal, man, elements).
Both are necessary for any Art to function.
The particular Arts are cultural specific (more
likely the Forms are different than the Techniques). Since the effectiveness
of a particular Art may be different the multiplier for each skill may
vary (though the multiplier is always at least x2). All techniques
use the same multiplier as the Forms present in that tradition.
| Multiplier | Description | Examples |
| x2 | Specific | trees, shrubs, felines, self |
| x3 | General | plants, animals, fire, water, earth |
| x4 | Broad | elements, spirit, life |
| x6 | Very Broad | time, matter, Life (greater manipulations) |
Types of Magic
There are three ways to work magic. Not all
traditions have all three types of magical workings. The three traditional
workings are: Spontaneous magic, formulaic magic, and ritualistic magic.
Spontaneous magic is the most flexible but
the most chaotic. True spontaneous mages can produce almost any effect
but must have a greater degree of skill to offer a decent chance of success.
Spontaneous magic has between -5 to -15 depending on the path's spontaneous
magic modifier. Traditions that only use spontaneous magic often
don't have as great a penalty for casting spontaneous magic. Spontaneous
magic can only effect what the caster can see.
Formulaic magic is generally considered to
be the balance point between spontaneous and ritualistic magic. Formulaic
magic has specific spell formula that produce the same effect each time.
Instead of scrambling to produce an effect from complex laws that you have
studied you have studied a particular effect until you know it. These
spells are much quicker than ritualistic magic and do not require material
components and great deals of time. Formulaic magic can only effect
what the caster can see.
Ritualistic magic takes great deals of time
and effort to produce an effect. Rituals often require hours of set
up before even the ritual can begin and then the casting itself may take
hours more. However, ritualistic magic can circumvent many of the
disadvantages of magic (see limitations below).
Buying spells
Formulaic magic costs 2x(the spell difficulty) IP to learn
Ritualistic magic costs 3x (the spell difficulty) IP to learn
Spell Levels
Each spell has a level of effect. This level
of effect is equal to the spell difficulty (listed with each spell) divided
by five. No mage can produce any magical effect where they do not
have at least 2 points per level of effect in all the Arts involved in
that magical effect. (Note: some spells have additional requirements.
They do not effect the die rolls for the spell effect but the magus who
has that effect must also have the requirement skill at the minimum level
or the character cannot cast that magical effect).
Index
Skill Rolls
All rolls to work magic requires two rolls.
The character must roll for the Technique and for the Form. If either
of those rolls fail then both of them fail. If either of them botch
then only that one botches (see botches below).
Spontaneous magic:
1st roll: Technique + magical
+ d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty + spontaneous magic modifier)
2nd roll Form + magical
+ d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty + spontaneous magic modifier)
Formulaic magic
1st roll: Technique + magical
+ d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty)
2nd roll Form + magical
+ d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty)
Ritualistic magic
1st roll: Technique + ritual
skill + magical + d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty + 5)
2nd roll Form + ritual skill
+ magical + d10 (difficulty is equal to spell difficulty +5)
Index
Limitations of Magic
Magic has certain limitations imposed upon it by
natural law. These natural laws can only be circumvented by the expenditure
of Mana (explained below).
Magic cannot:
Magic Resistance
Any practitioner of magic has a certain amount of
resistance to any Forms they possess. (Note if the forms are in a
different system and they overlap this resistance is still used).
All spells that affect you directly or produce an effect that directly
effects you (lightning bolt) can be resisted (though you may willingly
not resist a spell). Spells that effect you by changing your environment
(earthquake spell) cannot be resisted. This resistance is assumed
to be up anytime a magic practitioner is the target of a spell using a
Form they know.
The targeted magical practitioner rolls Magical
+ Form + d10 difficulty is equal to the attacking character's roll on their
own Form roll. If he makes his roll then that magical effect has
no effect on him. If he fails this roll then the magic affects him
normally.
Magical resistance includes the Mage and anything
that he wears or holds in his hands. Though there are certain spells
that may extend this range.
Index
Focuses
Spell Focus
A spell focus is something that allows a magician
to increase the effectiveness of a spell. A spell focus adds a bonus
to both of the caster's difficulty rolls. The bonus ranges from +2
to +15. Each spell focus is listed in the spell description.
Generally the rarer the spell focus is the greater the spell bonus.
A magician may have some choice about the spell focus to the spells that
they create.
A spell focus must be tied to the one who uses the
focus. This costs 1 Mana and 25IP/ point bonus.
Not all magic systems use Spell Focuses.
Personal Focus
A personal focus is a focus created by the caster
that as long as the caster possesses it it both adds bonuses to all spell
casting. It also allows touch spells and magic resistance to be used
through the focus. The personal focus must be touched to allow the
extened range of spells. However, personal focuses are a constant
tie to the creator.
A personal focus must be tied to the creator.
To tie the focus to the creator follow the two charts below for cost. The
character takes the Material cost from the first chart and multiplies it
by the size multiplier in the second chart.
| Material | Base IP cost | Base Mana cost | Spell Bonus |
| cloth, glass | 10 | 1 | +1 |
| wood, leather | 15 | 1 | +2 |
| bone, soft stone | 25 | 2 | +3 |
| hard stone | 30 | 2 | +4 |
| base metal | 40 | 3 | +5 |
| silver | 50 | 3 | +6 |
| gold | 75 | 3 | +7 |
| semi-precious gem | 100 | 4 | +8 |
| precious gem | 125 | 4 | +9 |
| priceless gem | 150 | 4 | +10 |
| Size | Multiplier | Examples |
| tiny | x1 | ring, bracelet, pendant, gems |
| small | x2 | wand, dagger, belt, cap |
| medium | x3 | sword, tunic, boots, skull |
| large | x4 | quarter staff, large shield, cloak skeleton |
| huge | x5 | boat, wagon, human body, small room |
Magical Enchantments
Some magical traditions allow magicians to create
magical things. These enchantments function without the caster's
power and in fact may function without the caster's presence and even after
they are dead.
The first step in creating any magical itemry is
to invest it with your own energy. The cost for investing an item
is the same as the cost for creating a personal focus though a magician
may create as many magic items as they have time and mana to create.
The second step involves actually charging the magic
into the items. The basic cost for charging an item is one mana and
50 IP per spell level in the item. No item may hold more spell levels
than 3 times the spell bonus on the material's chart (above). No
item may have a single enchantment worth more than the material bonus in
spell levels.
This cost is modified by the following chart:
| Frequency of use | Vim cost / IP cost | Frequency of use | Vim cost / IP cost |
| 1 use per year | subtract up to 10 from mana cost | 12 / day | +4 / + 75 IP |
| 1 use per month | subtract up to 5 from mana cost | 24 / day | +5 / + 100 IP |
| 1 use per day | +0 / + 0 | 50 / day | +6 / + 150 IP |
| 2 / day | +1 / + 10 IP | Unlimited | +10 / + 200 IP |
| 3 / day | +2 / +25 IP | Constant use | +5 / + 100 IP |
| 6 / day | +3 + 50 IP | Charges (10) * | +0 / + 25 IP |
Not all magical systems use magical enchantment.
Mana
Mana is present in limited locations all over the
world. In fact these locations became the Vitae locations of later
years. Mana is obtained from locations of power. These locations
of power slowly build up enough power to have sufficient energy to produce
an amount that we will call a mana point. There are probably between
1000 and 2000 points of power in our world at any given time but many of
these regenerate slowly.
Mana is a sort of metaenergy for the workings of
magic. Mana allows one to circumvent the natural laws of magic and
removes the limitations of magic. To do this requires the expenditure
of 1 mana / spell level for each such removed limitation. The expenditure
of a mana point may also add +10 to a magical roll (magical resistance
rolls as well). To add +10 requires that the point of mana be spent
before the roll. All other points of Mana may be spent after the
spell has been cast to increase the effectiveness of the spell.
A magus may not hold more Mana in himself than his
highest Art. Some Mana may be earmarked for a particular Art and
the mana may only be spent on that Art. Once mana is taken into a
particular mage it can be put into another mage or specially designed containers
or spent those are the only ways to get rid of it.
Most Mana producing locations produce between 1
and 5 Mana per month and hold between 15 and 25 if not used. Many
Mana producing locations have quirks associated with them (guarded by an
Ogre, only produces life mana, anyone using that mana has an eerie aura,
etc.)
Index
Botches
True magic is a little less dependable than Thaumaturgy.
The combination of two separate skills creates a much more difficult or
lucky roll. The effect of a botch are varied depending on the
precise roll.
The table below is for the roll on the botch d10.
This roll must also be rolled once for each die.
| die roll | effect |
| 1-8 | No flub just a failure |
| 9-0 | Use the flub chart below for effect |
| Technique | Botch | Failure | Successful | Major Success |
| Form (Botch) | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 |
| Form (Failure) | 2 | 6 | 10 | 14 |
| Form (Success) | 3 | 7 | 11 | 15 |
| Form (Major Success) | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 |
Timeperiods and their effect
on True Magic
Magic became more difficult during and after the
Age or Reason. True magic never became impossible but it became so
difficult that it might as well be impossible. This more difficult
magic appears to be another side effect of the loss of freeflowing mana
in the world.
To help facilitate this I have created an world
aspect called Magical Power (MP). The higher the MP level the easier
is the workings of Magic.
MP level on any LeyLines is considered to be 2 higher
than the MP of the world at large. MP on any Vitae Pools is considered
to be 4 higher than the MP of the world at large. The highest MP
level is level 10 the lowest is 0.
| MP Level | Description | Example |
| 10 | Difficulties to work magic are 15 lower | Arcadia |
| 9 | Difficulties to work magic are 10 lower | Heaven, Hell |
| 8 | Difficulites to work magic are 8 lower | Sundering world after 3 wave |
| 7 | Difficulities to work magic are 5 lower | Ancient World (before 1000 BCE), Sundering world after 2nd wave |
| 6 | Difficulities to work magic are 3 lower | Ancient World (before 1000 CE) |
| 5 | Difficulties are base | Medeval World (before 1400 CE), Sundering world after 1st wave |
| 4 | Difficulties are 5 higher | Medeval World ( before 1425 CE) |
| 3 | Difficulities are 10 higher | Medeval World (before 1450 CE) |
| 2 | Difficulties are 15 higher | Medeval World (before 1500 CE) |
| 1 | Difficulties are 20 higher | Between 1500 and 1600 CE |
| 0 | Difficulties are 30 higher | After 1600 CE |
Merits and Flaws for True Magic
Adept Student +2 merit
The character learns spells particularly
easily. The cost to learn a spell is only 1/2 what it would normally
be.
The Blatant Gift -2 flaw
Your magic causes difficulty when
dealing with others. Normal people and animals feel nervousaround
you Add +3 to any applicable social rolls.
Cautious Sorcerer +3 Merit
You are especially good with a specific
kind of magic. Anytime you botch that Art roll again. If you
roll between 1 and 5 it is a botch if you roll 6 or above it counts as
a regular botch.
Chaotic Magic -5 flaw
Your magic may go beyond your control.
If you gain more than two successes more than you needed to cast the spell
on either Art then the roll is successful but out of the caster's control.
The sideeffect may be more powerful than the original effect or simply
strange.
Cyclic Magic +2 Merit
Your magic is attuned to some cycle
of nature. (the sun, the moon, the tides etc). When the cycle is
at its height you gain a +5 to your roll however, when the cycle is at
its low you add +5 to the difficulty. The cycle must be regular and equal
out over a full cycle.
Deft Art +2 Merit
You are particulary adept at handling
difficulties with your Art. Any difficulty modifiers not supernatural
in nature are halved with that Art.
Deleterious Circumstances -1 to -5 flaw
Under certain circumstances you do
not cast magic as well. The more common the circumstances the more
the flaw is worth. Add +5 to the difficulties for all spells cast
while under the circumstance.
Extra Spells +2/level merit
For each point in this merit you get
2 extra spell levels to purchase your spells.
Focus Requirement -2 flaw
This flaw can only be purchased
if focuses are used in your magical form. You are required to use
a focus with any spell you cast. If the spell is formulaic the focus must
be the listed spell focus. If the spell is spontaneous it must be
a focus that can be related in the caster's mind (storyteller's choice).
Inventive Genius +4 merit
You have a special nack for creating
new spells and magic items. Double the IP gained anytime you are
working on such a task.
Magical Affinity +3 Merit
You have an affinity for a particular
magic. Add +5 to the roll anytime that magic is used. The character
cannot purchase but one such affinity.
Magical Deficiency -3 Flaw
You have a deficiency for a particular
magical art. Add 5 to the difficulty anytime that magic is used.
The character cannot have but one such deficiency.
Mana Source +2/level merit
You have a Mana source that you can
call your own. You gain 1 Mana per month per level in this merit
from this source. You do not start the game with any stored.
This Mana source may be used against you in the game since other Magus
will desire the Mana for themselves.
Method Caster +3 merit
This merit is only allowed in a nagical
system that includes both formulaic and spontaneous magic. You are
a very skilled formulaic caster. As long as you are able to cast
the spell exactly the same you gain a +5 to your roll. This requires
that the magus be completely untied and have full freedom of movement (unless
they chose to have practiced the magic tied up then they must be tied to
get this bonus)
No Formulaic Magic -5 flaw
You cannot cast Formulaic magic at all.
However you gain +5 to cast any spontaneous magic. There must be
formulaic and spontaneous magic in your magic system to take this flaw.
No Spontaneous Magic -5 flaw
You cannot cast spontaneous magic at all.
However you gain +5 to cast any formulaic magic. There must be formulaic
and spontaneous magic in your magic system to take this flaw.
Painful Magic -4 flaw
Casting magic spells is painful for
you. Anytime you complete casting a spell you must make a Will +
Resist Pain Torture check at difficulty 12.
Poor Formulaic Magic -5 flaw
You are not good at formulaic magic.
Anytime you cast a formulaic spell add +5 to the difficulty. Formulaic
magic must be used in your magic system to allow this flaw
Restricted Magic -3 to -8 flaw
You cannot cast magic under certain
circumstances. The more common the circumstances the more the flaw
is worth.
Slow Caster -4 flaw
You cast magic slowly. Nonritualistic
spells take twice as long to cast. Ritualistic spells may be cast
normally since everyone must cast them slowly.
Special Circumstances +1 to +5 merit
You cast magic better under certain
circumstances. The more common the circumstance the more the merit is worth.
When under that circumstance add +5 to the character's magic rolls.
Spontaneous Magus +5 merit
You are an especially gifted spontaneous
magus. Add +5 to the roll on any spontaneous magic.
Warped Magic -2 flaw
Your magic has an odd side effect.
Maybe flashes of light accompany your magic or the smell of wildflowers.
This makes your magic obvious to any who know of your flaw. Others
who do not know your flaw will know something funny is going on and may
suspect witchery.
| Beastial | Lillanite Vampire | Camarilla Vampire | Sabbat Vampire | Anarch Vampire |
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